Rajat knew he had disturbed his neighbours. With no options left to think over, this was the best, he could do. He wanted to know whether his neighbours were aware about his missing dad. After a patient wait, Rajat saw the neighbour’s door open slowly. Before he could speak, the woman who opened the door spoke out. “Why do you bang the door at wrong hours? My boring husband is home and I could be of no help to you”, said the woman who had wrapped herself in a bed sheet. Quite apologetically Rajat inquired, “Did my dad leave the keys with you?” Annoyed the woman replied, “I wish I had the keys to your heart!” Rajat always knew that this neighbour of his was no ordinary woman. Her name was Jyotika who chose to marry an old man for his money. She not only convinced her seventy-year-old husband to disown his family but also made it a point to make him dance to her tunes. The only thing Rajat was unaware about was Jyotika’s secret desire to win over him. Ignoring her comment, Rajat asked Jyotika to take care of his bag and left.
Roaming around on streets during midnight was the least he had expected to do. But, finding his father was important. Not very sure but with little confidence in his heart, Rajat headed to the liquor bar, his father often frequented. The streets were empty. Some people were sleeping on the pavements. And the lane he was about to enter next was considered a famous pickup joint. From a distance, Rajat could see his father tumbling to gain support. The old man was badly drunk and was murmuring at the peak of his voice. Before he could again fall down, Rajat rushed to hold his father. Seeing Rajat help, the old man screamed, “Leave me alone. Don’t you dare touch me.” Before Rajat could say anything further, his father fell unconscious. Finding no available source of transportation, he put his father’s left arm around his shoulder and slowly managed to drag him to their home. Rajat felt lucky that his father though drunk, had not misplaced the keys.
Back home and with no intentions to wake his neighbours again, Rajat unlocked the door. He lit the lamp to take his father in. The sudden blast of brightness due to the glowing lamp made his father sit up suddenly. As Rajat got closer to take him in, he resisted. “Who do you think you are? Why don’t you understand, I am not your responsibility! Let me lie down here. And please don’t push me into the house which holds memories of my misdeeds”, said his father. He further continued, “I have told you, I can never accept you as my son. You are a result of a mistake. And I am tolerating you for being a part of that mistake. Please, I beg of you to allow me to sleep here. I don’t want to bother you. We have nothing in common. I am an alcoholic and let me be under its bad influence. Don’t spoil my mood and go away.” Before Rajat could react, his father fell down and murmuring some complicated abuses fell asleep. In disbelief, he continued staring at the man who was his biological father and at one time considered a maverick film producer. It was his father Gautam Dutt who always was mistaken to be related to the legendary filmmaker of Bollywood, Guru Dutt. But he was different as Gautam believed in thinking ahead of time. As a filmmaker he was aggressive and ready to take on any challenge that came his way. In the 70’s, when people were bitten by Amitabh Bachchan’s masala movies, Gautam was busy planning a movie on the life of a prostitute.
After having slipped into the past for a while, Rajat dissolved his thoughts to grab a warm shower. With the shower on and the warm water soothing his tense nerves, Rajat started thinking again. He just started speaking to himself. He had been doing this for the past many years. In the absence of friends and companions, he found it wiser to do some self-talking. He spoke, “The man lying outside is my father. Still he doesn’t want to be known as my father. I have accepted him as a responsibility and a favour I owe to my unseen mother. He doesn’t want to accept me as his son. And I don’t want to allow him disown me. I know he holds a secret. He is aware about a truth, which he calls a mistake. Maybe he fears that the secrets known to him can cause apathy. But, he doesn’t understand as a father he needs me and as a son I care for him.”
Having dined out at a restaurant and feeling tired, Rajat chose to retire to the bed. Week long meetings, daylong discussions and month long hectic schedules was taking a toll on his personal life. He held professional commitments very important. Once in office, he would detach himself from the entire world and continue slogging unstoppably. Day-by-day, the pressure was increasing. The anniversary issue of ‘Mumbai Life’ was round the corner and loads of work was yet to be completed. In the absence of a great story his boss Alex was a worried man. Leaving all his worries behind, Rajat closed his eyes. Slowly he fell asleep. After a day’s work and a turbulent hunt for his father, this was the least he could ask for.
Next day while Rajat was still asleep he was awaken by a knock on the door. Lazily he pulled out of his bed to open the door. It was his father standing with a hung head and clothes stinking with the foul smell of alcohol he had consumed last night.
Roaming around on streets during midnight was the least he had expected to do. But, finding his father was important. Not very sure but with little confidence in his heart, Rajat headed to the liquor bar, his father often frequented. The streets were empty. Some people were sleeping on the pavements. And the lane he was about to enter next was considered a famous pickup joint. From a distance, Rajat could see his father tumbling to gain support. The old man was badly drunk and was murmuring at the peak of his voice. Before he could again fall down, Rajat rushed to hold his father. Seeing Rajat help, the old man screamed, “Leave me alone. Don’t you dare touch me.” Before Rajat could say anything further, his father fell unconscious. Finding no available source of transportation, he put his father’s left arm around his shoulder and slowly managed to drag him to their home. Rajat felt lucky that his father though drunk, had not misplaced the keys.
Back home and with no intentions to wake his neighbours again, Rajat unlocked the door. He lit the lamp to take his father in. The sudden blast of brightness due to the glowing lamp made his father sit up suddenly. As Rajat got closer to take him in, he resisted. “Who do you think you are? Why don’t you understand, I am not your responsibility! Let me lie down here. And please don’t push me into the house which holds memories of my misdeeds”, said his father. He further continued, “I have told you, I can never accept you as my son. You are a result of a mistake. And I am tolerating you for being a part of that mistake. Please, I beg of you to allow me to sleep here. I don’t want to bother you. We have nothing in common. I am an alcoholic and let me be under its bad influence. Don’t spoil my mood and go away.” Before Rajat could react, his father fell down and murmuring some complicated abuses fell asleep. In disbelief, he continued staring at the man who was his biological father and at one time considered a maverick film producer. It was his father Gautam Dutt who always was mistaken to be related to the legendary filmmaker of Bollywood, Guru Dutt. But he was different as Gautam believed in thinking ahead of time. As a filmmaker he was aggressive and ready to take on any challenge that came his way. In the 70’s, when people were bitten by Amitabh Bachchan’s masala movies, Gautam was busy planning a movie on the life of a prostitute.
After having slipped into the past for a while, Rajat dissolved his thoughts to grab a warm shower. With the shower on and the warm water soothing his tense nerves, Rajat started thinking again. He just started speaking to himself. He had been doing this for the past many years. In the absence of friends and companions, he found it wiser to do some self-talking. He spoke, “The man lying outside is my father. Still he doesn’t want to be known as my father. I have accepted him as a responsibility and a favour I owe to my unseen mother. He doesn’t want to accept me as his son. And I don’t want to allow him disown me. I know he holds a secret. He is aware about a truth, which he calls a mistake. Maybe he fears that the secrets known to him can cause apathy. But, he doesn’t understand as a father he needs me and as a son I care for him.”
Having dined out at a restaurant and feeling tired, Rajat chose to retire to the bed. Week long meetings, daylong discussions and month long hectic schedules was taking a toll on his personal life. He held professional commitments very important. Once in office, he would detach himself from the entire world and continue slogging unstoppably. Day-by-day, the pressure was increasing. The anniversary issue of ‘Mumbai Life’ was round the corner and loads of work was yet to be completed. In the absence of a great story his boss Alex was a worried man. Leaving all his worries behind, Rajat closed his eyes. Slowly he fell asleep. After a day’s work and a turbulent hunt for his father, this was the least he could ask for.
Next day while Rajat was still asleep he was awaken by a knock on the door. Lazily he pulled out of his bed to open the door. It was his father standing with a hung head and clothes stinking with the foul smell of alcohol he had consumed last night.
2 comments:
I loved the story. You write well, and your descriptions of the characters are very vivid. I am a big fan of short stories so it is great to see what you're doing. I will definitely keep checking to see the stories you write.
Dear Billie,
My blog is now by the name
www.bengalsurprise.blogspot.com
I've taken a few days break from my writing exercise. First it was called www.purneshbhattacharya.blogspot.com
I've changed the name to make it more convenient. And I've restricted it to serious bloggers like you. Otherwise people coming from a Tom-Dick-Harry background took interest in reading the blog and nothing worthful to comment. So from now on be in touch with this new id of mine.
With warm regards,
Puru
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